Chapter 1- The Worst Possible Partner
1221 Words
There were exactly three types of students at Seishun Academy.
The overachievers.
The popular ones.
And the invisible.
I belonged to the third category.
I wasn’t bullied.
I wasn’t admired.
I wasn’t talked about.
I simply existed.
Which was perfectly fine with me.
“Haruto, are you nervous?”
I glanced at the girl leaning over my desk. Fujimori Hina. My childhood friend. Warm brown hair. Soft smile. The type of girl teachers adored.
“For what?” I asked.
She puffed her cheeks. “Don’t act clueless. The Marriage Practice pairings are being announced today.”
Ah. That.
Seishun Academy’s pride and madness.
The Marriage Practice Program.
Third-year students were paired into mock married couples for an entire academic year. We would cook together, complete joint assignments, go on “practice dates,” and even accumulate compatibility points through monitored evaluations.
The top three couples received university recommendation privileges.
The bottom three?
Public ranking shame.
It was ridiculous.
“I’ll be fine,” I replied calmly.
Hina studied my face, searching. “What if… you get paired with someone difficult?”
“I’ll adapt.”
That was always my answer.
She smiled softly — but something about it looked fragile.
Before I could think about it further, the classroom lights dimmed. The massive screen at the front flickered on.
The entire third-year gathered in the auditorium.
Excited whispers filled the air.
And then—
The list appeared.
Names scrolling down in glowing white text.
My eyes moved lazily.
Kisaragi Haruto — Saotome Airi
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
“…What?”
Around me, gasps erupted.
“NO WAY.”
“Are you serious?!”
“Saotome Airi got paired with him?!”
Him?
I slowly lifted my head.
And that was when I felt it.
A stare sharp enough to cut skin.
At the front row, pink hair shimmered under the auditorium lights.
Saotome Airi.
The school idol.
Perfect grades.
Model-level beauty.
Cute voice that could melt half the male population.
And currently—
She looked like someone had personally insulted her bloodline.
Her blue eyes locked onto mine.
If looks could kill, I would’ve been memorialized.
The boy next to her — Takamine Ren, the so-called prince of Seishun Academy — glanced at the screen.
Takamine Ren — Fujimori Hina
Silence.
Then louder gasps.
Wait.
I turned toward Hina.
She was frozen.
Paired… with Ren?
The guy Airi obviously liked?
The auditorium atmosphere shifted from excitement to pure chaos.
And then—
A voice.
Sharp. Clear. Annoyed.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Saotome Airi stood up.
Every head turned.
She walked straight down the aisle.
Toward me.
Each step confident.
Each step furious.
She stopped in front of my seat.
Up close, she was even more overwhelming. Pink hair cascading down her shoulders. Navy blazer fitted perfectly. Ribbon tied neatly at her collar.
She crossed her arms.
“…You.”
Her voice was cute.
But the glare wasn’t.
“Yes?” I answered calmly.
Her eyebrow twitched.
“Don’t look so relaxed. This is a disaster.”
“I don’t think it’s that dramatic.”
A vein almost popped on her forehead.
“You think I wanted to get paired with someone like you?”
The auditorium went dead quiet.
I could feel eyes burning holes into my back.
I tilted my head slightly.
“And someone like me would be?”
She hesitated.
Probably because she didn’t actually have an insult prepared.
“…Plain. Background character. Average.”
Fair enough.
“I see.”
That was all I said.
That seemed to irritate her more.
“You’re not even mad?!”
“Should I be?”
She leaned closer.
Too close.
I could faintly smell something sweet. Strawberry shampoo, maybe.
“You do realize,” she lowered her voice, “I already like someone.”
My gaze shifted briefly toward Ren.
“I assumed as much.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“…You did?”
“You’re not subtle.”
Her cheeks flushed instantly.
“I-I’m perfectly subtle!”
“No.”
A beat of silence.
For the first time, her expression flickered.
Not anger.
Embarrassment.
Behind her, I saw movement.
Hina.
She was watching us.
Her hands clenched tightly at her sides.
And Ren stood beside her — composed, unreadable.
Airi straightened suddenly.
“Listen carefully,” she said sharply. “This marriage practice thing? We’re doing it properly for the points. Nothing more. Don’t misunderstand.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t fall for me.”
That caught me off guard.
“…That’s a bold assumption.”
She froze.
Her face turned bright red.
“I-I didn’t mean you would! I just— Ugh! You’re impossible!”
She spun around dramatically.
But before she walked away, she added—
“And stay out of my personal business!”
I watched her return to the front row.
The whispers exploded immediately.
I leaned back in my chair.
Well.
This year was going to be loud.
After the assembly, students were instructed to meet their assigned partners for schedule briefing.
Airi stood near the corridor window, arms crossed again.
When I approached, she didn’t look at me.
“You’re late.”
“It’s been ten seconds.”
“You’re still late.”
“…Right.”
She handed me a tablet.
“Our compatibility baseline score is 52.”
“That’s not terrible.”
“It’s below average.”
She looked offended on behalf of the number.
I skimmed the rules.
Shared apartment simulation twice a week.
Weekend outing reports.
Affection measurement through behavioral observation.
“Affection measurement?” I muttered.
Her ears turned red.
“D-Don’t read that part out loud!”
“Why?”
“Just don’t!”
Interesting.
As she turned her face away, I noticed something.
Her hands.
Slightly trembling.
For someone so aggressive, she looked… nervous.
“You don’t have to worry,” I said casually.
She stiffened. “About what?”
“I won’t make this difficult for you.”
Silence.
Her fingers tightened around the tablet.
“…You’re not even upset?”
“Should I be?”
She looked at me.
Really looked at me.
And for a brief second, something shifted in her eyes.
Not anger.
Confusion.
“…You’re weird.”
“I’ve been told.”
She huffed.
Then—
“Don’t think this means I accept you.”
“Understood.”
“And I still like Ren.”
“Understood.”
“And I won’t lose to Hina.”
That one slipped out unintentionally.
Our eyes met.
Ah.
So that was it.
This wasn’t about me.
It was about competition.
Before I could respond—
“Haruto!”
Hina approached us, smiling — but her eyes weren’t smiling.
“Looks like we’re neighbors in this program.”
Behind her stood Ren.
Polite. Calm.
He extended his hand toward me.
“Let’s both do our best.”
I shook it.
“…Yeah.”
But as I did—
I felt it.
Airi’s grip on my sleeve.
Subtle.
Possessive.
And when I glanced at her—
She was staring at Hina.
Not as a rival for Ren.
But as something else.
Something far more dangerous.
Jealousy.
And that was when I realized—
This wasn’t going to stay a practice marriage.
This was going to become a war.
- Writer
